The present invention relates generally to a bone fixing device and more particularly to an intramedullary nail (abbreviated as IMN) guide rod with a measuring scale marked thereon.
According to the conventional surgical operation for treating a fractured tibia or femur, an intramedullary nail is implanted in the marrow of the tibia or femur under treatment. Thereafter, the operating surgeon must be assisted by a C-arm X-ray machine for locating the position of the screw hole for a locking screw. The operating surgeon makes use of two identical round rods, one of which is implanted into the intramedullary nail. The drilling accuracy of the screw hole is then determined with the naked eye by the depth at which a K-pin is touched by the implanted round rod. The locking screw is then fastened onto the fractured tibia or femur.
Such a conventional method as described above is defective in design in that the operating surgeon is hazardously exposed to the X ray emitted by the C-arm X-ray machine during the operation, and that the inspection of the screw hole position done by the naked eye with two round rods is prone to a human error, thereby causing the intramedullary nail to penetrate the joint. In addition, it is likely that the implanted guide rod can not be taken out easily from the intramedullary nail whose outer diameter is improperly small.